Guide tab



July 27, 1965 H. w. BOEDEKER GUIDE TAB Filed Oct. 8, 1962 INVENTOR. Harold W Boedekcr United States Patent 3,196,564 GUIDE TAB Harold W. Boedelrer, River Forest, 111., assignor to C. L. Barkley & Co., Chicago, [1]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 228,960 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-23) This invention relates to angular guide tabs.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and novel form of angular guide tab characterized mainly by a construction that permits easy and quick attachment or removal at will from an index or guide card.

Devices of this type have heretofore been constructed for more or less permanent attachment to an index card and usually were affixed to the card by the manufacturer. This restricted the use of the cards as well as the angular guide tabs and kept the latter from being attachable to or removable from the cards by the users thereof. The use was greatly limited and the applications thereof to cards were not possible when the user wished to make changes or add guide tabs to cards already in use.

According to the teachings of the invention, a guide tab or the like is formed by providing two simply constructed complemental pivotally related clamping members having upwardly extending flanges with receiving pockets for the longitudinal shoulders of a tightly fitting indicia-bearing member and flanges extending downwardly below the points of pivots that are normally spread slightly apart to receive an index or guide card. When the indiciabearing member is inserted, preferably by a transverse sliding movement, the upwardly extending flanges cause the lower flanges to pivot toward each other whereby the index card is tightly gripped to hold the guide tab upon the index card.

A still further object of the invention is to use a transparent lens as the indicia-bearing member, an indicia strip being inserted beneath the same, whereby the indicia may be magnified and made plainly visible at an angle in front of or over the file drawer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of an angular guide tab embodying the invention, this view illustrating the manner in which the parts are assembled;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this angular guide tab with the parts assembled;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section of the same; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the same.

In the drawing, the guide or index card, to which a guide tab embodying the invention is applied, is illustrated in dotted lines at 2. It may be made of any suitable stiif material such as cardboard, fiberboard, heavy paper, or even metal, if desired, which is used for the purpose of separating filing material in drawers or filing cabinets and is of any desirable shape. The exact construction, size and use of guide card 2 may vary according to the requirements of any particular situation and, consequently, the reference herein made to a guide card may be accepted as including any type of card admitting of any use to which the invention may be put.

To illustrate one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a guide tab 5 comprising a pair of complemental rockably or pivotally related clamping members 6 and 7 secured together at an intermediate portion or portions by rivets 8. Rivets 8 are preferably provided with a center collar 9 and ends 10 that are adapted to pass through openings 11 and 12 in clamping members 6 and 7 and to be headed-over at 14 and 15. It will be noted that heads 14 and 15 are formed so that a 3,196,564 Patented July 27, 1965.

space slightly larger than center collar 9 may be provided between the clamping members 6 and 7 to allow a slight rocking or pivoting movement therebetween.

The upper ends of clamping members 6 and 7 terminate in outwardly and inwardly turned flanges 16 and 17, respectively, the flange 16 extending higher than flange 17. These flanges have ends 18 and 19 that are curved inwardly or toward each other. Their tips are spaced apart to leave an opening 20 therebetween. The turning of these ends 18 and 19 in this manner form pockets 21 and 22. These pockets 21 and 22 are adapted to receive longitudinal shoulders 24 and 25 of a transparent lens 26. The central portion 27 of lens 26 is preferably of substantial mass so that it will have a rigidity of firmness preventing flexing, chipping or warping. This central portion 27 is also convex. The curvature is of a degree and character to magnify indicia, say, like that illustrated as 28 carried on indicia-bearing strips 29.

' As illustrated, transparent lens 26 is adapted to be moved,- say, transversely between flanges 16 and 17 so that its longitudinal shoulders 24 and 25 will lie in pockets 21 and 22 and the central covex portion 27 will lie in opening 20 between ends 18 and 19. Indicia-bearing part or strip 29 may either be inserted into position below lens 26 when the latter is inserted or it may be inserted thereafter.

The relation of the space allowed to remain between clamping members 6 and 7, when rivets 8 are mounted in place, and the distance between flanges 16 and 17 or pockets 21 and 22, is such that the insertion of lens 26 transversely in these pockets will force the flanges 16 and 17 to spread and rock or pivot clamping members 6 and 7 about pivots 8 so that the lower legs 30 and 31 of these clamping members will be pressed toward each other and tightly grip index card 2. If so desired, the lower edge 32 of leg 30 may be curved slightly inwardly to cause a relating sharp edge contact with index card 2, while the lower edge 33 of end 31 may also be curved inwardly likewise to cause a sharp edge contact with index card 2 whereby the gripping effect with this index card 2 may be increased.

Lens 26 may be a molded plastic part of any suitable kind, such as methyl methacrylate, styrene, etc. with its top face 27 convex and preferably with a curvature of a degree and character to magnify the indicia 28 and be visible the entire crosswise dimension of face 27, thereby making it equally visible at any position from a vertical to a horizontal position. Not only is a crosswise spreading efiect obtained, but the indicia is otherwise magnified to have an enlarged appearance in order to stand out prominently. The longitudinal flanges 24 and 25 readily slide into pockets 21 and 22 to spread the top flanges 16 and 17 sufiiciently so as to cause a firm gripping action by lower legs 36 and 31 against the card 2. This gripping action very firmly holds the guide tab structure in place. To remove the guide tab from the card 2, it is only necessary to slide lens 26 transversely out of pockets 21 and 22. Collar 9 furnishes the necessary spacing of the complemental clamping members 6 and 7 to provide the spreading movement of upper flanges 16 and 17 that effects the pivoting or rocking movement and the firm clamping of lower legs 30 and 31 against the card 2 when lens 26 is inserted in pockets 21 and 22.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the character of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

l. A guide tab for index cards or the like comprising complemental clamping plate members, rivets extending loosely through intermediate portions of said clamping members for holding said clamping members together but in slightly spaced relation below the points of engagement of said rivets, the lower portions of said members below said points of engagement being substantially flat and disposed substantially parallel to each other whereby to receive an index card therebetween, the upper portions of said clamping members above said points of engagement being curved to form opposed holding pockets, a lens having opposite edges slidable into said holding pockets to spread the upper portions of said members and cause the lower portions of said members tightly to grip the index card, and an indicia-bearing member inserted under said lens.

2. A guide tab for index cards or the like comprising complemental clamping plate members, rivets extending loosely through intermediate portions of said clamping members for holding said clamping members together, spacing collars on said rivets to keep said clamping members in slightly spaced relation below the points of engagement'of said rivets,the lower portions of said members below said points of engagement being substantially flat and disposed substantially parallel to each other whereby to receive an index card therebetween, the upper portions of said clamping members above said points of engagement being curved to form opposed holding pockets, a lens having opposite edges slidable into said holding 4 pockets to spread the upper portions of said members and cause the lower portions of said members tightly to grip the index card, and an indicia-bearing member inserted under said lens.

3. A guide tab for index cards or the like comprising complemental clamping plate members, rivets extending loosely through intermediate portions of said clamping members for holding said clamping members together but in slightly spaced relation below the points of engagement of said rivets, the lower portions of said members below said points of engagement being substantially flat and disposed substantially parallel to each other whereby to receive an index card therebetween, the upper points of said clamping members above said points of engagement being curved to form opposed holding pockets, and an indicia-exposing member slidable into said holding pockets whereby to spread the upper portions of said members and cause the lower portions of said members tightly to grip the index card.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,826,614 10/31 Groff 40l6 3,057,357 10/62 Duncan l2924 3,062,217 11762 WOOdhOUSe 4023 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examiners. 

1. A GUIDE TAB FOR INDEX CARDS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING COMPLEMENTAL CLAMPING PLATE MEMBERS, RIVETS EXTENDING LOOSELY THROUGH INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS FOR HOLDING SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS TOGETHER BUT IN SLIGHTLY SPACED RELATION BELOW THE POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID RIVETS, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBERS BELOW SAID POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER WHEREBY TO RECEIVE AN INDEX CARD THEREBETWEEN, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS ABOVE SAID POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT BEING CURVED TO FORM OPPOSED HOLDING POCKETS, A 